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This Time Last Year – Part 19: Domaine Gerovassiliou

Part of a series of posts that cover my travel to Greece and the USA in April/May 2016.

May 6 2016 – Thessaloniki to Athens

Sadly it’s time to leave Northern Greece. Yesterday morning I made a last minute reservation with Ryan Air to Athens, the ticket so ridiculously cheap I pay a few extra Euros to upgrade to a vacant front row window seat, and still the price is cheaper than the cheapest Aegean Air fare. Go figure.

Lucky the airfare was cheap because these taxi fares add up over the day. It’s €15 to the airport where I store my bag for €4, then €25 to Domaine Gerovassiliou south of the airport at Epanomi, the beginning of the Halkidiki Peninusula.

Welcome to Domaine Gerovassiliou

Arriving at the winery the sculptures are what first take your attention, the glass tree in particular on the way to the visitors entrance.

The Glass Tree sculpture at Domaine Gerovassiliou

This winery welcomes visitors, answers emails from enquiring overseas wine tourists like me, offers wine tastings, has a restaurant, a museum, sculptures in the gardens and a magnificent vista over the vineyards and sea. Sadly Mount Olympus is shrouded in cloud again. Will I ever see this mountain in all of its grandeur and splendour? Evidently it still has snow on top. It’s white on top alright but that cloud.

I walk around and photograph the sculptures as I wait for the oenologist to arrive.

Iconic sculpture at Domaine Gerovassiliou. Thessaloniki, Greece

It’s quite a distance from the winery. I was going to have a wine tasting before the tour. I wonder now if there will be time. Waiting, waiting, waiting …

The tour includes an introductory talk, a walk in the vineyard, the production and wine making facilities, the museum and finally the opportunity a wine tasting.

Gerovassiliou seems to have an affinity for classical varieties with chardonnay, viognier and a fume sauvignon blanc on offer as well as the famous Malagousia revived from near extinction by Vangelis Gerovassiliou, plus the Malagousia / Assyrtiko blend. The reds include Syrah and Merlot as well as indigenous Greek varietals.

Despite a couple of hiccups this is an amazing visit but it’s a rush at the end with my taxi arriving before I’ve finished the tasting. This trip back to the airport is €23.

The Ryan Air 737 looks like it is brand new. I have nothing to fault with the service and would fly this airline again in Greece. The sea looks like silver as we fly out of Thessaloniki and the wake from the boats fan out across the bay. I track the route over the Aegean Sea into Athens on my iPhone GPS.

I am staying at St Thomas B & B for my last three nights in Greece. It’s a short drive from the airport in nearby suburb of Peania. Janet meets me at the airport. She’s holding a sign with my name on. I am wearing a T-shirt, no jacket. She is wearing a polar fleece.

The room upstairs has a balcony overlooking the pool, two twin beds, a walk in shower, and a kettle!!! Yes, I can make a cup of tea.

There’s a tavern almost next door and I hobble along for dinner. They serve traditional Greek food and I order souvlaki, chips and salad and a fresh, slightly spicy dry white (he said sweet). It comes in a 250-ml jug with a glass tumbler to drink it from. In the background bouzouki music and singing is filtering throughthe speakers. It’s how I like it!

Typical of how wine is served in tavernas.

I eat the food, drink the wine, go back to the B&B and have a good nights sleep. I feel relaxed. I think I will be very comfortable here.